Electronic doors, such as those doors that incorporate electronic door hardware and other features that must be powered and cabled appropriately for operation, are used in various facilities. Generally, electronic doors and the electronic features therein are powered and connected through the doorframe, which is generally considered an “electronic door frame”. Such electronic doors and frames are often utilized in facilities where security and controlled access are important, such as schools, prisons, medical facilities, and other facilities wherein it is desirable to control ingress and egress of a room or facility or to remotely lock and unlock certain doors.
Generally, for electronic door frames, power lines and other cabling are brought to the door and frame through appropriate electrical conduit located in the walls and ceilings of the facility. The conduit extends from junction boxes proximate to the doorframe, and the cables are delivered to access points around the frame. In some installations, the door frames might be hollow and are abutted against stud and drywall construction, thus providing space behind the frame for the cabling during initial installation. Door frames are often abutted against masonry, where the space behind the frame is filled with the masonry units and mortar. In some other installations, the door frames might be pre-wired and then installed and coupled to appropriate cabling and power lines. For example, pre-wired door frames might present a plug-in connector to then be connected with external cabling. As such, existing door frames might incorporate various conduit and other elements that are secured in the frame that may or may not be prewired for usage. Any conduit, and possibly cabling and power lines are installed in the factory and then shipped to a site and installed.
Accordingly, existing electronic door frames and systems provide very little flexibility in being adaptable at the site. Furthermore, because the door frames are installed and secured against masonry, the wiring would all have to be run and completed before the frame is installed and sealed with the masonry. Once installed, there is very little flexibility in being able to run cabling. Furthermore, it is very difficult to change the configuration of the door electronics once it is installed. For example, it may be desirable to change the electronic hardware or to add additional electronic hardware and features to a door once it is installed, or to incorporate new or updated electronic security hardware devices as they are developed in the marketplace.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a system for an electronic doorframe which provides significant improvements over existing designs. Specifically, the system of the invention provides the ability to cable and connect electronic features of the door and the door frame after initial installation for the future life of the door and frame. Furthermore, it provides the ability to retrofit a door, such as by changing hardware or adding hardware very easily even after the doorframe has been secured with masonry. The inventive system is flexible in the location of the components of the system within the doorframe and provides features which enhance the cabling tasks associated with connecting an electronic doorframe to suitable power sources and other cabling. Accordingly, the present invention provides significant cost savings and flexibility in the installation, use, and retrofitting of an electronic door and an electronic doorframe.